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EsotericTeachingsoftheTibetanTantra:PartII:TheSixYogasofNaropa:ChapterEight:TheYogaoftheLight

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EsotericTeachingsoftheTibetanTantra,byC.A.Muss,[1961],atsacred
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p.238

CHAPTEREIGHT
THEYOGAOFTHELIGHT
TheinstructiononLightYogaisgivenintwoparts:The
practiceofLightYogainthewakingstate,andthepracticeof
LightYogainthesleepingstate.
ThisLightYogapracticedinthedaytimereferstothegeneralor
commonLight(incontrasttotheuniqueTantricLightpractice),
whichisthefundamentalDharmaessenceapartfromthe
realisticandnihilisticextremes95.Thisisthe(socalled)Light
ofObjecttheunderstandingorrealizationofwhichis(called)
theLightofObject(literally,theLightofComprehendingthe
Object).ThisteachingisfoundinbothHinayanaandMahayana,
intheParamitaVehicleaswellasinTantra,andinthethree
LowerTantrasaswellastheHighestDivisionofTantra.Itisa
teachingcommontoallBuddhistschools.Sometimesitiscalled
theAbsoluteLight.TheuniqueLight(astaughtinTantra)isno
differentinessencefromthecommonLightofObject.The
differenceliesintheLightofSubject,which(intheTantric
teachings)istherealizationoftheInnateGreatBliss.
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TheuniqueteachingoftheAnuttaraTantrafortherealizationof
theInnateBornGreatBliss,requiresmainlytheentering,
remaining,anddissolvingofthepranaintheCentralChannel,
ortheBlissofthePerfectingYoga.ThisInnateGreatBlissis
not,however,producedthroughthemeltingofThigle,nor
throughtheconcentrationpracticeofordinarymeditationthe
nothoughtexperienceapartfromdrowsinessanddistraction.
Neitheris
p.239

itproducedthroughthetamingofprana.FortheBlissproduced
throughthetamingofpranaisquitedifferentfromtheInnate
GreatBliss.Throughthetamingofprana,theexperienceof
brightness,nothought,andblissmaybeproduced,butthisbliss
isdifferentfromtheInnateGreatBliss.ItmayalsobeaBliss
ofMelting,butitisnotthesameBlissoftheArisingYogathe
MeltingBlissisnotproducedthroughthepranaenteringinto
theCentralChannel,etc.Oneshouldcarefullydistinguishthe
differentBlisses,andunderstandthemwell.
Asexplainedbefore,intheHeatYoga,theInnateGreatBlissof
thePerfectingYogashouldbemergedwiththewellstudied
ViewoftheSolenessthusarisestheVoidBlissWisdom,
calledtheLight,ortheLightofthePath.Inthepracticeof
PerfectingYoga,tounfoldthislightisrequiredbeforethe
IllusoryBodiescometopass.Inadditiontothis,manyother
practicesarerequiredfortheraisingoftheIllusoryBodies.
Here,thespecialLightpracticeisemphasized.Theenteringof
LightrequiresadependenceoneithertheactualIllusoryBody
oronanysimilarillusorybody.
ThesubsidingprocessoftheLight[isnowdiscussed].
Theexplanationsonthissubjectarenotveryclearinmostofthe
pithinstructions.However,thereisaverygoodonethat
describestheprocessasfollows:
TheyogishouldvisualizehimselfastheFatherandMother
Yidam.AttheDharmaWheeloftheHeartCenterintheCentral
ChannelstandsablueHwordontheSunDisc.
FromthisHwordemanatebeamsoflightshininguponall
thecosmosandpurifyingthemthenthebeamsenterandare
absorbedintothebodiesofallsentientbeings.
p.240

Thereupon,allthesentientbeingsmelt(andareabsorbed)into
theMotherYidam.Then,inthedownwardabsorbingprocess,
theheadoftheYidamvanishes,thentheneck,thechest,etc.,
onebyone,andarefinallyabsorbedintheHword.Atthe
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sametime,intheupwardabsorbingprocessthetoesfirstvanish
intotheleg,thenthelegintothethigh,thighintohips,hipsinto
belly,andfinallyallareabsorbedintotheHword.Thereon,
thelowerpartoftheHword,thevowel,vanishesintothe
Ha,andtheHavanishesintothehalfmoonthehalfmoonthen
vanishesintotheThigle[heretobeunderstoodasbinduEd.]
andtheThiglevanishesupwardintotheNada.Sincethis
Visualizationoftheabsorbingprocessisconcentrateduponthe
HeartCenterintheCentralChannel,ifonecanstabilizethe
Visualization,thepranasoftheRomaandRkyangmawillall
enter,remain,anddissolveintheHeartCenterintheCentral
ChanneltheFourVoidnesseswillsuccessivelyarisetheLight
ofPathwillaugment.Atthistime,withblissfulmind,one
shouldunwaveringlymeditateupontheVisualization.
Asmentionedbefore,thiscommentaryontheIllusoryBodyand
LightYogaispreparedonthepithinstructionsofthePao
School.TheinstructionoftheLightYogagivenaboveisbased
ontheuniqueteachingoftheFiveStepsofGsunadusandit
wasintroducedhereasalittleadornmentforthepith
instructions.
IntheHeatYogapractice,ifonecanraise(unfold)theInnate
[WisdomBliss]throughtheenteringofpranaintotheCentral
Channel,hewilleasilybeabletoraisetheInnateLightatthe
timeofLightYogapractice.Atleast,hewillbeabletounfoldit
throughthepracticeoftheabsorbingprocess(without
difficulty).
p.241

IfthepracticeoftheLightoftheSleepingStatecanbedone
throughholdingtheLightofSleepingStatebyprana,whichis
theprerequisitepracticeofDreamYoga,itaccordswiththe
instructionsofmanygurus.Forholdingthedreamthroughprana
isitselfaverygoodmethodofpractisingtheLight.Atfirst,one
shouldeatwellandabundantly,anddressinverywarmclothes
(orcoveroneselfwithawarmquilt).Dependingontheneeds
andtimetheyogishouldabandonsleepfortwoorthreedays,or
sleepasusual(literally,donotabandonsleep).Ifheabandons
sleepfortwotothreedays,hewillbecometoosleepy,andit
willbedifficultforhimtorecognizetheLightofSleep.
Therefore,forthebeginners,itispreferabletopracticetheLight
Yogainacomparativelylightsleepingstate.Fortheadvanced
yogi,whosemeditationhasalreadybecomesteady,itisnot
necessarytoabandonsleephowever,inordertotestone's
abilitytorecognizetheLightinverydeepsleepingstate,hemay
abandonsleepforsomedays.
InthepracticeoftheLightYoga,theyogishouldrender
offeringsandpraytothePreciousOnes,presenttheGtormasto
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theGuards,andpraythemtoassisthiminrecognizingtheLight
ofSleepandinsubduingallhindrances.Heshouldvisualizethe
Yidam'sbody,practisetheGuruYoga,andprayearnestlymany
timesthathisguruassisthimtorecognizetheLight.Theyogi
shouldalsorepeatedlyremindhimselfnottofallintodreamsbut
torecognizetheVoidnessofSleepwhensleepcomes.
Thesleepingpostureshouldbeasfollows:Liedownonthe
rightside,withtheheadtothenorth,thefeetpointingsouththe
back,eastandthemouth,towardthewest.Placetheleftfooton
therightfoot.Thispositioniscalled
p.242

theLionSleepPosture.Then,theyogishouldvisualizetheself
YidambodyandalsovisualizeablueHwordstandinginthe
centerofalotus,withfourgreenleavesextendingineach
direction,situatedattheHeartCenterintheCentralChannel.
OnthefourleavestherearefourwordsAh,Nu,Da,Ra.(In
someotherinstructionsnowordisvisualizedonthefour
leaves).TheAhwordsitsontheleafintheeasttheNuwordin
thesouththeDa,inthewesttheRa,north.Whenonefeels
sleepy,heconcentratesontheAhwordwhenhefeelsvery
sleepyorinsensible,heshouldconcentrateontheNuwordthus
theFirstVoidnesswillappear.Whentheyogiconcentrateson
theDaword,theSecondVoidnessortheExtremeVoidnesswill
emergewhenheconcentratesontheRaword,theThird
VoidnessortheVoidnessofAttainmentwillemerge.
Thereupon,whentheyogiconcentratesontheHwordinthe
center,theFourthVoidnessortheUniversalVoidnesswill
emerge.
Itissaidthatsuccessivelyvisualizingthesefourwordswill
causetheFourVoidnessestoemergesuccessively.However,
thissayingmakeslittlesense,becausesomedonotunderstand
thatinmeditatingonthesewordsattheHeartCenterinthe
CentralChannel,thelifepranawillautomaticallygather
consequently,theFourVoidnesseswillarise.Basedonthis
reasoning,oneshouldnotmisinterpretthetext"visualizingthe
wordofthecenterattheHeart."Theessentialthingisto
visualizeatthecentralpointoftheHeartCenterintheCentral
Channel.Becausethewordsoftheinstructionsarenotclear,itis
wronglysaidthatconcentratingonthethreewordsonthethree
leaveswillproducetheThreeVoidnesses.Thisopinion
completelymissestheessentialpointoftheteaching.Therefore,
p.243

wemaydispensewiththisAh,Nu,Da,Rawordpractice,which
isdifficultandresultsinlittlebenefit.
TheimportantthingistoconcentrateontheHwordinthe
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center.
TherearetwodifferentkindsofmeditatoroftheSleepingLight:
theyogiwhohasattainedastableSamadhiofthevisualized
objectbefore(engaginginthispractice),andtheyogiwhohas
notattainedastableSamadhi.Inthelattercase,theyogiwill
attainaSleepingSamadhiimmediatelyafterhefallsintosleep
throughholdinghismindontheinstructionsgivenbefore,but
thisSleepingSamadhiwilllastonlyaveryshortwhile.
Therefore,relyingmerelyonthemindfulnessofrecognizingthe
sleepingstate,throughdesirewillnotgiveoneastableSamadhi
eventhoughgreateffortsaremade.Forifonecannot"hold"the
Lightthroughthepranapower,theinhalationandexhalation
willstilltakeplace.Thoughthebreathingmaybeverysubtle
andcalm,thebreathcannotbecompletelystopped.Thusa
counterpartoftheFourthEmptinesswillemergebutnotthereal
FourthEmptiness.Consequently,theSleepingLightcannotbe
(fully)recognized.
Inthecaseoftheyogiwhohasalreadyattainedastable
SamadhiandhasmasteredtheHeatYogacapableofgathering
theLifePranaintheCentralChannelandraisingtheFourth
Emptiness,hewillhavenodifficultyinunfoldingtheLightof
theSleepingState.Ifhefollowstheinstructionsasgivenbefore
andvisualizestheHwordintheCentralChannelatbedtime,
hewillbeabletounfoldtheFourthEmptinessoftheSleeping
Statethroughthedissolvingprocessofpranawithintwoorthree
days.
IftheyogicannotunfoldtheEmptinessthroughthepranapower
inthedaytime,butifheattainsastableSamadhi
p.244

withtheexperienceofbliss,brightnessandnonthought,hemay
eitherfollowtheforegoinginstructionsorabsorbhimselfinhis
SamadhitoreachthestateofSleepingSamadhi.Somepeople
saythatifonehasattainedastableSamadhiofanygeneraltype
itisnotnecessaryforonetoleadthepranaenteringintothe
CentralChannel.Thisisnotcorrect,fordoingsowillnotbring
abouttheactualSleepingLightofAnuttaraTantra.
Nevertheless,iftheyogiconcentratesattheHeartCenter,
throughthepowerofthehabitualthoughtproducedbythe
practicehemaywellbringaboutthefruit.Thoughthroughthe
powerofanygeneralDhyanaonemayinduceacertainsleeping
samadhiwiththecapabilityofcontemplatingontheSoleness
andtheLightofthegeneralPaths(HinayanaandMahayana
Path),thatisbynomeanstheLightastaughtbytheteachingof
AnuttaraTantra*.
RecognizingtheLightthroughthepranapowerbyconcentrating
ontheHeartCenterwillcausetheFourVoidnessesto
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successivelyarisethemanneroftheiremergenceisexplained
asfollows:
MeditatinguponaThigleintheHeartCenteratthedeep
sleepingstateinthepreparatorystagewillcauseaperfectLight
ofNoThoughttoemerge.Evenifitdoesnotemergeandthe
yogifallsasleep,hispranawillnaturallygatherintheCentral
Channel.Asinstructedbefore,ifone
p.245

isabletogatherthepranasintheCentralChannelinthedaytime
practiceandpractisestheconcentrationoftheHwordatthe
HeartCenterintheCentralChannelbeforebedtime,thepranas
willbegatheredeasilyintheCentralChannel.Theexperiences
oftheemergenceoftheVoidnessareasfollows:First,theyogi
seesthewaterreflectionlikemirage,thenitvanishesand
becomessmoke.Theyogiseesmanysparklinglightslikethose
oftheglowworm,thentheyvanishagainandbecomethestable
lightofalamp.Thislightvanishes,andtheyogiseesthe
manifestationasthelucidThiglelikemoonlightshininginthe
clearsky.Theserenemoonlightspreadsoveralltheuniverse
thisexperienceiscalledthe"Voidness"orthe"Emergence."
Thenthevisionvanishesagain,andtheyogiexperiencesallhis
mentalmanifestationsappearingtobeaclearskyandseesthe
allspreadingglaringsunlight,itscolornotliketheblazingfire
ballbutsparklingandgleaming.Thisexperienceiscalledthe
"ExtremeEmptiness"orthe"AugmentationofManifestation."
Thentheyogiexperiences,astheskyextendingoverallthe
universe,hismentalmanifestationsappearingtobethedark
firmamentatnight,darkbutnotblack.Atthistime,iftheyogi
concentratesontheupperpartofthebody,thevisionwillnot
disappearifheconcentratesonthelowerpartofthebody,the
mindwillbecomedimanddullhowever,thisexperienceisnot
harmful.Keepingone'smindontheinstruction,theyogi
cultivatesthisexperienceofdarknessandeventuallyavery
stable"Light"willemerge.Theemergenceofthislightiscalled
the"GreatEmptiness"orthe"ManifestationofAttainment."
Whentheyogiarisesfromthedarkness,avisionliketheclear
skyofdawnwillemerge,whichisneitherexactly
p.246

likethecolororshapeofthesky,norlikethesunlight,
moonlight,ordarkness.Thisstageiscalledthe"Universal
Voidness."Heshouldtrytoabsorbhimselfinthisgreatvoidness
aslongaspossible.
IntheteachingofGsunadusoftheMarpaSchool,onemayfind
instructionsforavoidingeitherthesuddenawakeningfrom
sleeporthefallingintodreamstate.
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TheFourVoidnessesarealsocalledtheFourBlisses.The
FourthVoidnessisidentifiedwiththesupremeInnateBliss.The
rapturousandnonthoughtaspectsofthisInnateBlissare
expedientlycalled"bliss"actuallytheyaretwocharacteristics
amongothersoftheVoidnesswhichareseenasclearly(bythe
enlightenedbeings)asoneseeshisownpalm.
TheteachingoftheidentityofBlissandVoidoftheUnparalled
Vehicle96istomeditateontheViewoftheSolenesstogether
withtheproducedBliss,asmentionedbefore.Althoughthis
term,theIdentityofBlissVoid,isclaimedbymany,thereare
numerousincorrectandmisleadingexplanationsoftheteaching.
Theyaresimilar,[tothetrueteachingEd.]buterroneousone
shouldexaminethemverycarefully.
Althoughthepithinstructionsofthisschoolaremany,inthis
connectionthereisnomentioningofthe"ThreeVoidnesses."
Somepeopleavowthe"FourVoidnessesprinciple,"butitseems
notbefittinghere.Onemaynotbeabletofindthispointinthe
pithinstructionsoftheRngogpaSchoolnevertheless,itis
clearlystatedinthebookofSpyodbsdus(Collective
InstructionsonPerformancescommentaryofGsunadus),
whichsays:
"Theskandhasthenenterintothesubtleelements,thesubtle
elementsintotheconsciousness,theconsciousness
p.247

intothesubtleconsciousness(Sattva),thesubtleconsciousness
intotheBlindness.*Followingthisproceedingandcoordinating
withit,thesleepingprocedureisreversed.Atthetimethe
'Enteringprocess'ofconsciousness,ofsubtleconsciousness,and
ofthegreatBlindnesstakesplace,inasplitsecondtheyogi
forgetshismeditation(orcompletelyfailstokeephisattention
onthemeditationobject).Later,whentheforgetfulnessis
overcome,theLightessenceofthewisdomwillshineforth.
Ifonecanliberatehimselffromtheforgetfulness,hewillattain
the'essence'throughthePrana(force).Ifanydreamtakesplace
duringthistime,theyogishouldtrytoreversethesleeping
procedureandconcentrateaslongaspossibleonthe
illuminatingLight."
Havingfullyunderstoodthesecretmeaningofthebooksofthe
accomplishedone,IhavegiventheexplanationsontheFour
Voidnessesandthe(practical)instructionsonholdingtheLight.
Theseinstructionscannotbefoundanywhereelse97oneshould
trytounderstandthemproperlyandfollowthem.
Intheabovequotation,"theskandhas"meansthecrudevisions
"thesubtleelements"impliesthetimewhentheelementsenter
intothepranathatis,thetimewhentheearth,water,andfire
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elementssuccessivelysubsidefromonetoanotheruntilthefire
elementsenterintoprana."Enteringintotheconsciousness"
meansthatthepranasubsidesintotheconsciousnesshere,the
consciousnessmeanstheFirstVoidness.The"Sattva"implies
thestageoftheAugmentation"entering"impliesthe
consciousnessentersor(subsides)intothisstage."The
Blindness"
p.248

meansthestageofAttainment."Followingthisproceedingand
coordinatingwithit"meanstheyogishouldcoordinateand
combinehimselfwiththeThreeVoidnessesatthetimeofsleep.
Inshort,thisquotationfromthe"CollectiveInstructionon
Performance"istheessencesummarizedfromYeshesrdorje.
"Thistime"meansthetimeofsleep.The"enteringprocessof
thethreeconsciousnesses98"meansthatformerconsciousnesses
successivelyenterintothelaterconsciousnesses,andatthetime
ofthethirdstageofthethirdconsciousnessthemindbecomes
dim."Later"impliesthetimeaftertheattainment,orthe"After
stage"oftheAttainment."Whentheforgetfulnessisovercome"
denotesthetimewhenoneawakesfromthenonthought
consciousnessinthedeeplyslumberingstatetheexperienceis
likebeholdingtheclearskyatdawn.Duringthistimenoother
visions(orthoughts)cometopass."If[thereis]liberation[from
forgetfulnessEd.],thepranaarousestheessence99."Beforethe
variousdreamscomeinsight,oneshouldtrytoconcentrateon
theLightaslongaspossible.Here,the"liberation"impliesthe
LightSamadhiiftheSamadhibecomesdimorweakenedand
theyogiisforcedtoarisefromit,throughtheforceofthe
(moving)pranatheflowingthoughtswillalsobesetinmotion
whereuponthedreamsalsotakeplace.Incasenodream
whatsoeverarises(atthistime)theyogishouldmeditateonthe
Lightwithoutdistractionaslongaspossible.
IftheyogiisabletobringforththeSamadhiofSleep,butnotto
producethe"Light"throughthepranaholdingpractice,hemay
experiencethetransparencyandclearnessintheSamadhiof
Sleep,but(sinceitfollowsnotthewayofLightYoga)theThree
Voidnessesprecedingthesleepingstage
p.249

wouldneverappear.Therefore,itbynomeanscanbe
consideredashavingthequalificationsandsignificanceofthe
"LightofSleep."Besides,intheSamadhiofSleep,thequalified
andplentifulexperiencesofthemirage,smoke,etc.,preceding
theFirstVoidnesswillnevercomeintobeing,butonlythose
resemblingthem.
OneshouldacquaintoneselfwiththetwodifferentLightsofthe
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LightofSleep,i.e.,theLightinExperienceandtheLightin
RealizationalsothethickandthinLight,orthebrightanddim
Light.Thoughmanypeopledeclarethatthethoughtless,lucid,
andtransparentSamadhiofSleepisidenticalwiththeLightof
Sleep,nosufficientreasonisfoundforthisclaim.
Thisexposition,basedupontheteachingofthe"HolyFather
andSon"[seelastparagraph,ChapterTwoEd.],oftheLight
YogawithboththeinstructionsontheLightofDaytimeandthe
LightofSleep,isgivenhereaftercarefulstudiesand
contemplations.Thusoneshouldholditdearasmostvaluable
instruction.
IfonehastriedhisbesttoremainintheLight,but,becauseof
thedriftingpranaisunabletoholdon,onemaythenresortto
thespecialteachingondreamarisingsgiveninthepith
instructionofGsunadusoftheMarpaSchool.

Footnotes
244:*ItisclearthatthroughoutthetextTsongKhapais
referringtoapracticalyogatypediscipline,verydifferentfrom
theveryphilosophicalandverbalcontextoftheAnuttaraTantra
aspresentedinmostoftheoccidentallyaccessibletexts,e.g.in
theVowofMahamudra,forexample.Thatpracticalteaching
andtherealizationitbringsisthetrueheartoftheAnuttara
Tantra.Ed.
247:*Hereisthe"enteringprocessofthethree
consciousnesses"mentionedbelow.Seenote98.Ed.
Next:ChapterNine:TheTransformationYoga

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